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Inexpensive Sports Cars

Oct 15 2007

Back to: The Best Kind of Sticker Shock

Audi R8
Aston Martin V-8 Vantage Roadster
Maserati GranTurismo
Mercedes CL63 AMG
1 of 12
Audi R8
Base price: $109,000
Zero to 60: 4.4 seconds
Horsepower: 425
Top speed: 187 m.p.h.
Big draw: Exotic looks and performance based on Audi’s Le Mans-winning autos.
Big drawback: It’s still a lot of money for an Audi.
Aston Martin V-8 Vantage Roadster
Base price: $126,000
Zero to 60: 4.9 seconds
Horsepower: 380
Top speed: 185 m.p.h.
Big draw: Classic British sports car lines and sharper handling than older, heavier Astons.
Big drawback: Low horsepower for a car in this class.
Maserati GranTurismo
Base price: $115,000
Zero to 60: 5.1 seconds
Horsepower: 405
Top speed: 177 m.p.h.
Big draw: Options include custom-fitted Ferragamo luggage and a leather interior in your choice of 10 colors.
Big drawback: A brand history of shaky quality.
Mercedes CL63 AMG
Base price: $138,000
Zero to 60: 4.5 seconds
Horsepower: 518
Top speed: 155 m.p.h.
Big draw: Lots of power and every gizmo imaginable, including radar-beaming cruise control that works in traffic.
Big drawback: May be ostentatious for a typical Benz buyer.